I’ve been meaning to turn a good portion of the back yard into a garden for food and food-related plants (herbs) since I moved in… 4 years ago.

So, really plan on doing it over the winter for next year so I can plant in the spring.

I’m mostly planning “easy” plants: Zuchinni, squashes, onions, carrots, potatoes, broccoli, peas, maybe cucumbers etc.

The question, though, is what’s the best way to like, do a raised bed?

Google has helpfully offered up what looks like a non-stop barrage of AI generated nonsense, but I’m figuring some sort of cement blocks for the corners and some un-treated boring white pine (or whatever’s cheapest at the local lumber yard) wood for the sides.

The questions are, I guess, is what exactly is the correct thing to buy to fill these since I’m planning on making something like 4 or 5 large raised beds and like, what extremely obvious things am I overlooking that’ll result in this being less success and more of a typical my-project-failed?

  • arcane potato (she/they)@vegantheoryclub.orgMEnglish
    1·
    15 hours ago

    I hope this isn’t unwelcome advice, but this is a vegan gardening community:

    I practice veganic gardening (as much as is possible - I’m sure my triple mix had some animal manure in it) so I don’t have direct experience with using manure in my beds. I do want to flag that mixing top soil with manure has a few potential downsides:

    1. It’s probably not going to drain very well. You will likely need to add something to bulk it up.
    2. There are a few hazards associated with using animal wastes as fertilizer. I’ll spare you the lecture, pathogens, etc but you do risk having too much nitrogen and “burning” your plants.

    If you google raised bed soil recipe or something like that, you will find ideal ratios for different components that will allow good draining and aeration.

    • schizoOPEnglish
      1·
      9 hours ago

      Not at all and I missed the vegan bit or I’d have not mentioned it, so that’s my bad.

      My problem is I live somewhere that essentially does not have top soil (the clay is, if you’re lucky, maybe an inch down) and I’m going to have to start from utter scratch, and the internet is uh, rife? with animal-based solutions.

      I’m going to have to import something, and then do something to whatever I get, since from what I can tell I’m not exactly going to get anything remotely resembling decent soil purchasing a truck full of it.

      • arcane potato (she/they)@vegantheoryclub.orgMEnglish
        1·
        3 hours ago

        Think about adding something like vermiculite or coco coir for fluffing up the heavy clay soil.

        This is outside of my raised beds: My soil is really compacted clay as well. Plants don’t build deep roots and the soil gets super water logged. I am working with straw and my own compost to kind of add some organics. I’m also using deep layers of wood chips that will eventually break down.